Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

2013.09.07

In winter storms, the winds can blow over 75 mph, hence the name Hurricane Ridge.  Annual snowfall is usually over 30 feet.

We passed through the clouds on our way up, stopping at a couple viewpoints along the way.  Sometimes wisps rolled by so fast they matched my pace as I turned and photographed.

Viewpoint on the way up to Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Trees dwarf a car on the way up to Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

There were only two or three other cars when we parked at the Hurricane Ridge Visitors Center, and the vendors were just starting to open.  The air was cool so we put on our jackets, but the wind wasn’t too bad, and the sun was starting to shine through as the upper clouds moved east.

The highest peak in the Olympic Mountains is Mount Olympus, at 7,980 feet.  Most of the others are over 6,000 feet, so they can be difficult to identify separately.  Outside the visitor center there is a mounted panoramic photo with notations pointing to the major peaks.  There is also a nice scale model inside.

Panoramic view from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Scale model in Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Olympic National Park, Washington
Scale model in Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center, Olympic National Park, Washington
View from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
View from Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington

We decided to walk along one of the nearby meadow trails.  There are longer hikes that spread out in various directions, but this was just our first destination of the day.

Along trail at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Along trail at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Along trail at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington
Along trail at Hurricane Ridge, Olympic National Park, Washington